BALKANS: Serbia Wakes Up Late to Early Retirement

Several doctors and pension fund employees in a Serbian town have been arrested in recent weeks and charged with taking bribes for issuing false early retirement certificates.

EDUCATION-SPAIN: Changes in Religious Instruction on Track for Approval

Despite the fierce opposition of Spain's right-wing Popular Party and the Catholic Church, an educational reform bill that would change religious instruction in the country's schools is on the road to approval.

RUSSIA: Bureaucracy Grows, Corruption With It

Bureaucracy has significantly expanded under President Vladimir Putin, and is now perceived as more corrupt, a new study says.

ENVIRONMENT-EU: Civil Society Demands a Role in Monitoring Chemical Substances

Non-governmental organisations and trade unions are demanding the right to participate in the control of the manufacture and sale of chemical substances in the European Union alongside producers, government authorities and health experts.

BALKANS: After War, an Empty Peace

Ten years have passed since the internationally sponsored Dayton Peace Accords ended the bloody war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. But lives remain disrupted, and thousands are still missing.

RIGHTS-SLOVAKIA: A Murder Wakes Up a Nation

Thousands of people have joined anti-fascist marches following the murder of a young white Slovak by suspected neo-Nazis. Anti-racism campaigners say the killing has finally brought home to Slovaks the danger from extremist right-wing groups.

BALKANS: Disputes Arise Over Return of NATO

Six years after its bombing of Serbia, NATO is back, this time at least to official welcome.

RUSSIA: Strong Steps to Contain Bird Flu

The Russian government is taking extensive measures to contain the spread of bird flu.

EUROPE: New Spread of Unrest Feared

Political leaders and experts are fearing a spread of the recent French unrest across Europe.

MEDIA-SLOVAKIA: Ownership Raises Freedom Issues

The new owners of Slovakia's most popular television station have pledged more objective news after years of complaints that its founder and former minister Pavol Rusko used it as a vehicle for himself and his political party.

FRANCE: Riots Spread Into Rebellion

Rioting by immigrant youth around Paris has begun to take the shape of a nationwide rebellion against racial and social segregation, and repressive police action.

RUSSIA: Burying Lenin Will Not Be Easy

A political storm over proposals to bury the embalmed remains of the leader of the Bolshevik revolution Vladimir Lenin shows no signs of subsiding.

REFUGEES-BALKANS: A Homecoming of Sorts

Thousands of Serbs in refugee camps will be 'adopted' by farmers in Serbia from this month under a new plan.

RIGHTS-FRANCE: Where Immigrants are ‘Scum’

The urban guerrilla war between immigrant youth and police forces on the outskirts of Paris, and the war of words between politicians this week have again shaken claims that France is the "cradle of human rights".

ENERGY-BALKANS: New Power to the People

A new energy treaty between Balkans countries and the EU promises power in homes people badly need.

HEALTH-EUROPE: Flu on the Wing of Migratory Birds

Oct 26 Following the first outbreaks of bird flu in Turkey, Romania, Greece and Russia, the European Union is stepping up health controls, while environmentalists are pushing for a ban on bird hunting, based on evidence that migratory species are the main vectors of the virus.

GLOBALISATION: Amid Budget Spat, EU Searches for the Big Picture

European Union leaders are meeting this week to debate the bloc's future place in an increasingly competitive world, while trying to avoid awkward topics that threaten its cohesion.

BALKANS: UN Gives Green Light on Kosovo Talks

The United Nations Security Council's endorsement of talks on the political future of the southern Serbian province of Kosovo provides a new foothold for efforts to resolve one of the Balkan region's thorniest problems.

/ARTS WEEKLY/BOOKS: When Reporting Becomes Literature

The Lettre Ulysses Award for 'The Art of Reportage' first created in Berlin three years ago, has been won by the British- born writer Alexandra Fuller for a compelling description of a journey made in Central Africa with a war veteran and mercenary who revisits the scenes of his war-time experiences in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

WOMEN-ICELAND: Encore Strike on Wage Disparities 30 Years On

Thirty years after a strike that was a milestone in the global women's movement, Icelandic women have returned to the streets, steadfast in their demand for wages that put them on equal footing with men.

POLAND: Eye on Coalition, Pres.-Elect Turns Conciliatory

Early signs since Lech Kaczynski was announced the surprise winner of Sunday's run-off election suggest that his presidency will be as closely watched in Washington, Moscow, Berlin and Brussels as it will be by Polish voters and politicians.